Of those infamous World War II bombs scattered on the bottom of the lake, none had exploded since the 1940s. But now the “media bomb” has exploded: Radio2, Tg4, Tg5, “La vita in diretta” and “Le Iene,” along with a flood on the internet, have jumped on the news of the €500 fine imposed on Enzo Fattori.
He had collected an old fender from the beach, violating the ordinance that prohibits collecting objects of any kind from the lake shore, signed by the mayor on January 25, when some old explosives had been recovered in the old port and surrounding areas.
Fined for collecting a visibly harmless object, a piece of waste to be disposed of in plastic, with a penalty (€500) higher than that provided for those who litter. A “case” to be told, for the most watched TV shows. On Thursday evening, Mayor Guido Malinverno had tried to close the incident amicably: recognizing Fattori’s environmental commitment (he has been volunteering for years to keep the town and beaches clean), he had invited him to the town hall to discuss it calmly, “in person, not in the newspapers or on social media.”
Too late. Yesterday morning, April 19, the mayor was already face to face with “Le Iene” reporter Matteo Viviani and his crew. An embarrassing situation, both because of the fine, which received a chorus of criticism, and because of the shadows of that ordinance that prohibits “collecting, removing, and moving objects, materials, rocks, and sediments of any kind and nature until the revocation of the ordinance, as it is not possible to exclude the presence of other explosives” on the lake shore.
A problem perhaps also for the upcoming tourist season. But what is most striking is the fine: numerous groups and citizens, joined by Lega MEP Angelo Ciocca, have expressed their solidarity with Fattori and offered to pay the fine. Meanwhile, the “bomb” has exploded.
Italian Version
